Progress on Green Line Phase 2: Mystic Valley Parkway station

MassDOT recently updated the community on the possible extension of the Green Line from College Ave to Mystic Valley Parkway (Route 16). Specifically, they walked everyone through a Notice of Project Change (NPC), which describes potential environmental impacts. View the slides to see this additional project’s scope and information on noise and vibration, land use, transportation, and more.

Some points to consider:

The U-Haul building at this location does not need to be acquired (saving millions of dollars and also minimizing the environmental and neighborhood impacts of demolition) in order for a station to be added at Route 16. The MBTA can work with the building owner to repurpose the building for a higher and better use (housing, office, retail) that would complement the Green Line station. (See the great station plan from the Medford Green Line Neighborhood Alliance.)

Included in the scope of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) should be the potential improvement to Mystic River water quality due to reduced auto trips/vehicle miles traveled, which translates into less tailpipe emission and fluid leaks falling to the streets and being carried into the river by stormwater.

Since the GLX Phase I bid came in $239 million under budget and all budget inflation risk is supposed to be borne by the design-build contractor, the $157 million that last year was reprogrammed for GLX Phase I might be reprogrammed back to GLX Phase 2 (Route 16 Station) and the cities of Somerville and Cambridge might no longer be required to make their $50 million and $25 million contributions to GLX Phase 1.